232 M. Sundevall on the Birds of Calcutta. 



XXIX. — The Birds of Calcutta, collected and described by 

 Carl J. Sundevall*. 



[Concluded from p. 173.] 



100. Podiceps philippensis, Temm. Man. ii. p. 129 ; et ibid. Ana- 

 lyse, p. cvii; Buff. PI. Enl. 945. — P. minor, var. j3. Lath. Fusces- 

 cens remigibus cubiti albis ; tarso postice duplici serie irregulariter 

 serrato: interne 8 — 9-dentato ; digitis margine undique integerrimof . 

 (^ (d. 22 Martii). Iris flava. Corpus dilutius quam P. minor ; 

 superne cum alis et capillitio rufescenti-fuscum, nucha pallidiore ; 

 subtus albidum, collo pallide cinerascente. Remiges primarise unde- 

 cim : 2^^ reliquis longior ; omnes fuscse basi et intus late albse. Re- 

 miges cubiti albae : mediae immaculatse ; anticae et posticse macula 

 fusca extus, prope apicem, in posticis majore. Tectrices fuscse. 

 R,ostrum majus, sutura recta; forma ut P. cornuti. Caput absque 

 crista vel barba. In tarsi margine postico squamulse seriei exterioris 

 circa 23, quarum 17 (sc. 3 et sequ.) serratae ; interioris 18, quarum 9 

 (sc. 7* — 15^) serratoe; mediae utriusque seriei majores,obtusi. — Paullo 

 major quam P. minor. Long. 8J poll. Rostrum e fronte 23 millira., 

 ad fauces 29, altit. 8j, cum cranio 52; ala 97 millim., tarsus 37, 

 dig. med. 40, cum ungue 46. 



Alia individua (eodem die ; veris. seniores), collo dilute rufo. 



Indiv. e Java (coll. Gyllenkr.) obscurius, capite supra et tota 

 nucha nigro-fusca. Occipitis et colli superioris latera castanea. Ala 

 112 millim., digitus medius 44, cum ungue 50. Cetera ut descr. 

 superior. 



The species of the genus Podiceps are among the more diffi- 

 cult to define by general characters^ as may be seen in the two 

 largest, viz. our P. cristatus and rubricollis. In the winter dress 

 these can hardly be distinguished but by size^ and in fact speci- 

 mens of the smaller species (P. rubricollis) are often met with 

 which are decidedly larger than many of P. cristatus. Like 

 water-birds in general, they vary more than land-birds in size 

 and colour. The Indian species just described is very like our 

 P. minor, so that they may easily be confounded, even in the 

 summer dress. It occurs not rarely about Calcutta, and was very 

 common at the end of March in the small lakes near Sucsagor. 

 Five or six commonly kept together. They dived with remark- 

 able activity, and when alarmed flew only a short way close over 

 the water, on the surface of which they were often seen to run. 



In addition to these birds, which with two exceptions were 



• Translated from the * Physiographiska Sallskapets Tidskrift' by H. E. 

 Strickland, M.A. 



t Pod. minor remigibus cubiti albis, omnibus extus plaga fusca, posticis 

 fere totis fuscis ; tarso postice duplici serie regulariter serrato denticulis 

 sequalibus, interne sub-12. Digitorum membrana serrulata. Rostrum minus. 



